The Footy Almanac 2007 Round 12 – North Melbourne v Adelaide: Bar hopping to the Kangas

The first printed edition of The Footy Almanac came out in 2007, before we had a website. In the absence of a real 2020 season, we will be publishing the 2007 pieces for the first time ever on www.footyalmanac.com.au. Follow the season!

 

 

Kangaroos versus Adelaide

7.10pm, Saturday, June 16

Gold Coast Stadium, Carrara

by ROB CLARKSON

 

 

YOUR TEAM’S OUT OF TOWN. You live in one hell of a town. A night on the town? Why not? It’s a rare day that a North Melbourne match, played interstate, is on free-to-air television and this seemed the perfect opportunity for a pub-crawl. I set myself the challenge of seeing four quarters in four pubs. Not an unprecedented venture, I’m sure, but one of those things everyone should try once in their life. Sydney Road, Brunswick, seemed the perfect place, though, on reflection, it would have been more appropriate had we been playing the Swans. There’s an Adelaide Street in Pascoe Vale but, I’m told, it’s a little light on for pubs.

 

I settled in for the first quarter at the Brunswick Green. A duo played a range of covers as the bar staff discussed the new interpretation of the hands-in-the-back rule. Perfect. The Crows’ Scott Thompson kicked the first goal after five minutes of play. It was to be his only major score within a dazzling midfield performance. Even North’s lauded tagger, Brady Rawlings, couldn’t stop Thompson’s drive.

 

Adelaide started the match the more focused team and kicked five straight before straying off-line. North’s movements forward were hurried and messy and the Crows’ defence made light work of clearing the ball. The quarter was played on Adelaide’s terms and they were a comfortable 22 points up at the first break.

 

I hurried down the road to the Cornish Arms just in time to see Shannon Grant shank a set shot from 20 metres out. Dismal. The Cornish has a plasma screen, which always gives the impression of more space on the ground. It was only one team playing wide-screen football, however, as Adelaide found space in their forward line that North could only dream of. Nathan van Berlo and Chris Knights were prominent for Adelaide. The Crows out-scored North by only a goal in this term but the timid efforts of the North attack would have left Adelaide’s Neil Craig (since the demise of Grant Thomas, the only coach in the game with two first names) with few concerns.

 

I crossed the street to the Brunswick Hotel for the third term. They’d been serving beer here for 17 years when the North Melbourne Football Club was formed and for 138 winters prior to the Adelaide Crows. The band was setting up, Talking Heads were on the jukebox, and I bumped into a pal who was there for his workmate’s farewell drinks. The Darwin match between the Dogs and the Dockers was on the big screen while, appropriately, the North game was on the small one. It was up to the Kangas to wrest back the momentum but that was a challenge seemingly beyond them. Brent Harvey and Hamish McIntosh attempted to give North some spirit, but received little assistance from teammates. Each side kicked only a goal each in a term of stagnant football.

 

And so to the Sporting Club Hotel, down Weston Street, for the last quarter. The note Blu-Tacked to the bottom of the television read, Don’t yell at the horses (they can’t hear you). In my – by this time – somewhat tired and emotional state, I misread horses for North forward line and took the advice.

 

In the early minutes of the term, it appeared the Kangaroos might have had a little more run left in their legs but the Crows ran away with the match. Scott Welsh kicked four effortless goals to transform a comfortable win into a minor thumping. The Crows kicked seven of their goals from marks while North kicked only two. Adelaide’s defenders were clinical; their forwards well-drilled and efficient. The final score was a fair reflection of the Crows’ dominance.

 

Melbourne’s a fabulous city and Brunswick is one of its more diverse and exciting suburbs. Next time I’ll visit simply for the music, the beer and the food – and keep the football well out of it.

 

 

Kangaroos  1.3 3.7 4.9 7.12 (54)

Adelaide  5.1 8.4 9.7 15.10 (100)

 

GOALS

Adelaide: Welsh 5, Bock 4, McGregor 2, Thompson, Griffin, Ricciuto, Mattner.
Kangaroos: Thomas, Edwards 2, Brown, Grant, Jones.

 

BEST

Adelaide: Thompson, van Berlo, Welsh, Bock, McLeod.

Kangaroos: Harvey, McIntosh, Simpson.

 

MILESTONE

Pratt (Kangaroos) 50 games.

 

UMPIRES

Chamberlain, McInerney, Pannell.

 

OUR VOTES

Thompson (A) 3, van Berlo (A) 2, Welsh (A) 1.

 

BROWNLOW

Edwards (A) 3, Porplyzia (A) 2, Thomas (K) 1.

 

CROWD

11,178

 

 

For more Round by Round reports of the 2007 season click HERE

 

Printed copies of The Footy Almanac 2007 can be purchased here.